Inmate healthcare crisis: Staff shortages, transport delays hit Namibian correctional facilities

A Shortage of medical personnel in correctional facilities across the country is affecting the provision of healthcare to inmates, resulting in delays in treatment and limited access to essential services.

This is outlined in a report by the National Council’s standing committee on home affairs, security and constitutional and legal affairs following visits to selected correctional service facilities and police holding cells between 20 January and 12 March.

The report notes that most correctional facilities do not have full-time health personnel and rely on rotating nurses or periodic visits from district health centres.

The absence of permanent staff results in lapses in daily medical monitoring and delays in addressing urgent medical needs.

In cases where inmates require treatment from external health facilities, the committee observed delays due to limited availability of vehicles for transport or because escort officers are not on duty at the time of request.

The result is that inmates sometimes wait several days before being taken to hospital for examination or treatment.

Ministry of Health and Social Services spokesperson Walters Kamaya says while health infrastructure exists within correctional settings, the responsibility for ensuring inmates are transported to hospitals when they need medical attention rests with the correctional authorities.

“We only have physical infrastructure for the services. When the inmates are not feeling well it is the responsibility of the prison to bring them to the hospital. The only time we go to prison is if we are doing an outreach. It’s their responsibility to transport the inmates to the facilities,” Kamaya says.

He adds that coordination between correctional authorities and health services remains necessary to ensure medical care is accessible when required.

“When the inmates are not feeling well, they must be taken to hospital by the prison,” he says.

The report further states that inmates with chronic conditions are reliant on scheduled medication supply deliveries, which are not always consistent.

In some facilities, inmates reported waiting for medication replenishment after stocks ran out.

In police holding cells, detainees do not have access to onsite medical support, the report found. The committee also found that some detainees spent extended periods in holding cells while awaiting court appearances or transfers, and during these periods could only access medical assistance if they were escorted to nearby state health facilities.

The report states that this often depended on transport availability and staffing levels at the time.

According to the committee, prolonged delays in treatment increases the risk of health complications among inmates and detainees, especially in overcrowded detention environments where communicable conditions can spread.

The committee recommended strengthening cooperation between the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security and the health ministry, including improving staffing levels in correctional clinics, reviewing medical referral procedures and ensuring continuous supply of chronic medication.

Questions sent to the safety ministry regarding the healthcare challenges raised in the report were not responded to by the time of publication.

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